


Wish I Could Stay

by InkDomain



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Depression, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Minor Violence, Other, POV Third Person, Songfic, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 12:52:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12935694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkDomain/pseuds/InkDomain
Summary: The Reader has always been there to protect Clementine, despite their young age and the way the world is now. They pass that responsibility onto Lee, but what happens when Lee is no longer there to protect the Reader and Clementine?





	Wish I Could Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my deviantART (OperationStabTheCake).  
> Not proof read.  
> The Walking Dead Games belongs to Telltale.   
> Based upon 'Standing' by Anthony Stewart Head/Joss Whedon.  
> 

Although you were only ten years old when the apocalypse began, you accepted the sudden change with little thought. Considering your age, it was understandable that you didn’t quite grasp the sudden change in the world and how this would change your life forever. You had been visiting your closest friend, Clementine, whilst her parents were on a trip in Savannah and protested the need for a babysitter. Sandra was nice, you liked her, but you felt like you were old enough to look after yourself and the eight-year-old girl on your own. It was Clementine’s idea to hide in the treehouse after Sandra got hurt and wouldn’t wake up, and there were people trying to get into the house. It wasn’t so bad, you made sure she was safe until you spied a man hopping over the wooden fence and into her back garden. You made sure neither of you were spotted, but you kept a steady eye on the obviously injured man. Your parents had always drilled into your head to never talk to strangers, and you were sure that Sandra would take care of the new addition in the house. 

You didn’t trust him, you didn’t trust anyone that posed a possible threat to Clementine. She was scared, and you didn’t blame her, letting her cling to your shirt as you both watched the man explore Clementine’s trashed house.  
“Who is he?” She whispers to you, scared of being heard by the people that weren’t exactly people roaming the streets or the man in her house. You shake your head, unsure of where he came from since Clementine’s fence ended at the forest behind her house that lead to the highway.  
“I don’t know. Clem, pass me your walkie-talkie.” You instruct her, not taking your eyes from the dark-skinned man as you held out your hand and waited. She did as you asked, and you turn on the toy, connecting to the other half in the home. You opened your mouth to speak to the man in the wrecked home, but you choke on your words when Clementine immediately takes the device from your hand and speaks into it confidently.  
“You need to be quiet.” She says into her half of the walkie-talkie, the both of you know that the man inside the house hears her voice through his half of the walkie-talkie by the way his head whips around to search for the voice. The man stumbled over to the sliding door where he had entered the house, his hand picking up the other walkie-talkie as he tries to locate the both of you.  
“Are you okay?” He asks, his deep and slightly rough voice comes through slightly crackly on Clementine’s talkie. Although he couldn’t see where you and Clem where hiding, and he had no idea who either of you were, his voice was filled with nothing but concern.  
“I’m okay. They tried to get me. But I’m hiding until my parents come home.” She replies, the two of you watching as he tries to find where the other half of the walkie is hiding.  
“What’s your name?” He asks, flinching slightly as he leans on his injured leg and tries to balance himself on one leg.  
“I’m Clementine, and I’m hiding with my friend [F/N]. This is my house.”  
“Hi Clementine and [F/N]. I’m Lee.” He smiles as he introduces himself after he hears Clementine’s and your name, he pauses after he states his name and turns his back to the glass door. He wonders around the lower level of the house, limping away from the door before asking another question. “Where are your parents?”  
“They took a trip and left me with Sandra. They’re in Savannah, I think. Where the boats are.”  
“Are you safe?” He asks, he pulls a face at something on the floor and you think you recall that’s where you left Sandra to sleep. He steps over her and further into the kitchen.  
“We’re outside in my treehouse. They can’t get in.” Clementine tells him, letting Lee know where the two of you were hiding.  
“That’s smart.” Lee smiled, praising the young girl. You smile a little when his compliment caused Clementine’s face to light up, she smiled at her own cleverness and moves towards the door to the treehouse.  
“See?” She asks as she pushes on the door, peeking her head out to make sure that Lee could see her from his position at the kitchen window. “Can you see me? I can see you through the window.” Clementine asks through the walkie, and you shuffle across the hard wood floor to look over her shoulder, so Lee could see the both of you. Lee smiles when he sees the both of you, and imitates the gesture the both of you make when you raise your left hand and wave a ‘hello’. He seemed happier now that he could see the two of you, and the fact that neither of you were unharmed caused some concern to leave. 

Clementine’s smile drops, and your stomach follows in direction. Your hand freezes in the waving motion as movement behind Lee makes your blood run cold, the only other person in that house was Sandra and she hadn’t moved in days. Before you could yell out a warning, Clementine lets out a shriek of terror just as Sandra lunges forward and goes to attack Lee. You try yelling over Clementine’s head that Lee isn’t dangerous, he’s a good man and that he isn’t going to hurt us, but Sandra keeps trying to hurt him. Through the walkie-talkie you could hear Lee was struggling with keeping Clementine’s babysitter at bay, and he was going to get even more hurt with the limitation of an injured leg. You frantically look around the treehouse for something that could be used to push Sandra back, the struggle in the house causing you to panic.  
“Clem, help me find something to help Lee!” You yell at the young girl, throwing things out of your way that was useless for defence. Your frenzied search increased in panic when you heard something smash inside of Clementine’s house, you knew that time was running out. Clementine interrupts your search by tugging on the back of your shirt, making you turn to face her. She held out a hammer to you, asking with her expression if it was good enough. You grin at her for what she found, quickly planting a kiss on her forehead as a silent praise before rushing to the door of the treehouse and jumping down. You don’t bother with the ladder, landing with your knees bent before stumbling then running towards the back door of the house. You slide the door open and instantly locate Lee on the floor, shuffling backwards and away from Sandra. You stand there frozen for a moment when you see Sandra this close, her face is grey in colour and so thin that you could have mistaken her for another person. Her eyes scared you the most, they were pure white and void of any signs of life, and the noises she was making was similar to a deprived animal. Clementine takes the hammer from your hands, she tries to ignore the grotesque appearance of her babysitter and concentrates on helping Lee.  
“Here!” She hands over the hammer which he swiftly accepted and brought it down on her head. Sandra kept moving, kept trying to hurt him, so he kept hitting her in the head with the hammer. You recoil and shake, throat tightening with the threat of puking at the sounds of her skull cracking and caving in. You remember that Clementine is beside you and witnessing the brutal act, and you move fast to wrap your arms around her and block her view with your chest, so she didn’t have to see more of the vicious beating. 

_You’re not ready for the world outside_  
_You keep pretending, but you just can’t hide_  
_I know I said that I’d be standing by your side_  
_But I…_

The train ride into Savannah felt like you were getting closer and closer to the heart of Hell, and everything you had endured to get on these tracks were just the several realms leading there. There was an emptiness without Duck around, he had annoyed the crap out of you with his obliviousness, but he gave us a smile even when death was knocking at the door. Lee took the burden of ending his suffering when his bite took his life, he couldn’t bare to put that on Kenny’s shoulders. You didn’t know exactly why Katjaa didn’t come back from the forest, but Lee said she wanted to stay with Duck and that we need to respect her choice as a mother. Kenny took it hard, he isolated himself in the train’s control room and made sure we got to Savannah without any more loss. You sat with Clementine in the box car, watching the world go by at a faster rate than in the caravan, both of your legs dangling over the edge and the breeze whipping around you both. The silence was agonising, but there was nothing you could say to make anything better. You just sat beside your childhood friend, letting her know that you’re there when she needs you just by being near her. You’re ripped from your thoughts when Lee calls your name, asking to speak with you in private. You nod in silent agreement, pushing yourself to your feet and following him along the small walkway of the train and through the control room. You feel like you should say something to Kenny, but with his temper, you didn’t want to get yelled at for trying to be a good kid. You keep your head down and follow Lee out to the front of the train, your smaller hands holding onto the railing as the wind whips your messy hair around and you waited for him to talk.  
“You’re not ready.” Lee starts, breaking the silence between you since the moment the train had left the caravan and two thirds of Kenny’s family behind. Your eyebrows knit together in confusion, and you look up at the man that was more like a father than your biological father.  
“What do you mean?” You ask, ready for what? You were all sticking together when you get to Savannah, we find Clem’s parents and then we get on a boat and go to safety. You were ready for that.  
“I won’t always be around to protect you and Clem, you’ve come a long way since the treehouse, but you can’t keep pretending that the world is the same as it was before. You can’t just hide behind me.” Lee tries to explain, turning his chocolate brown eyes from the horizon to lock with your own eyes. His voice is calm, and his words are calculated, almost as if he had spent hours trying to figure out what to say to you.  
“You said you’d always stand by our side.” You say, unsure about what Lee was talking about. He was always there, especially when you or Clem needed him. He would always be there, of course he would, it’s not like he was going anywhere.  
“I know I said that, but…” Lee sighs deeply as he trails off, unsure of how to word his thoughts in a way that you would understand. You look up at him with the same look of confusion, and he just gives you a ghost of a smile before putting his hand on your shoulder.  
“If I don’t make it, promise me you’ll look after Clementine.” You nod with determination, smiling wide as you make the promise with Lee.  
“Of course I will. I’ve always looked after her, I don’t plan on stopping.” You don’t pick up Lee’s worry, or understand what this conversation meant, but you look out towards the oncoming tracks as the train brought the dwindling group closer to Savannah and further away from the Georgia suburbs where you had lived. One step closer towards finding Clem’s parents.

It was silent between the two of you for a few passing moments, all that needed to be said was already spoken. Your train of thought is disrupted when the door to the train’s control room is opened and shut, your head turning to the source of the noise to see that it was Chuck- the man who had been using the box carts as his home for a while now. Lee’s face turned from peaceful to angered, and you understood why, Chuck had told Clementine that what happened to Duck would happen to her and you. You straighten up a little, and Chuck holds up his hands in defence to show he didn’t mean any harm from what he said. Lee stares him down, folding his arms across his chest as he glares daggers at the older man. You mirror Lee’s stance, as angry as he was at Chuck.  
“Hey.” Lee says, but it’s more of a ‘fuck you’ rather than a greeting.  
“How ya doin’?” Chuck asks, tilting his head to the side as he moves to lean against the safety rail at the front of the train.  
“I don’t care what reasons you had for doing it, no reason to go and tell our girl she’s gonna end up dead!” Lee spits out, your jaw clenching at the reminder of how scared Chuck had made Clementine after he told her she would meet the same gruesome end.  
“’Cause she is.” Chuck replies, his tone saddened, and his eyes say that he’s seen it happen before. Lee doesn’t respond, he understands Chuck’s reasoning but you’re still furious at the older man. “I don’t know much about you folks, but I can tell you, sure as the sun gon’ come up tomorrow, that ya’ll keep going on like this and that girl ain’t gonna make it.”  
“What do you know?” Lee demands, and you hold onto the safety rail to keep your balance and stop you from charging the man. Your knuckles turn white from how hard you squeeze the metal, and your anger is only fuelled to fury with Chuck’s calm tone of voice.  
“I know that you don’t have a goddamn plan. We get to Savannah and then what?” Chuck asks, and you look up to Lee to listen to his reply. Lee had a plan, he always had a plan, and you trust his judgement because he hasn’t steered the group wrong yet.  
“We do what’s best for Clementine.”  
“Oh! Well then! You do have it all figured out! Nevermind.” Chuck retorts, and it’s evident that he can see through Lee’s bullshit even if you can’t. “Listen, sit down with both of the kids and hash it out. Find a map for Christ’s sake- I’d give you one if I had it. And if something were to happen to you-” Chuck is cut off by Lee’s confident voice.  
“It won’t.” Chuck stares at him for a moment before continuing.  
“If it WERE, you gotta prepare the girl. Teach her to use a weapon and for criminy, cut that hair.” Your nose wrinkles at the idea of teaching Clem how to use a weapon, she’s still petrified of the Walkers and you were only able to take out a few because you were fuelled by the desire and need to protect her. You didn’t like the idea of Clementine being forced to protect herself, she wouldn’t need to with you and Lee here.  
“Like a gun? Are you kidding me?” Lee asks in disbelief, he didn’t like that you were capable of killing the undead but the thought of an even younger child having to do so- that was almost out of the question.  
“What? She’s too young to handle one? There ain’t too young, not anymore. You gotta consider her a living person. That’s it. You’re either living or you’re not. You ain’t little, you ain’t a girl, you ain’t a boy, you ain’t strong or smart. You’re alive.” Before Lee can fight back against his ideology, Chuck continues. “Look at the kid’s hair. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a Walker does it for you. And then show her how to use a gun because like it or not, that’s what saves your life from here on out.” There’s a brief pause, before he speaks up again. “I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already…”  
“They have.” Lee agrees, softening his features to show that he understood where Chuck was coming from now that he had calmed down.  
“And seein’ another little girl die might just do me in.” You feel guilt as Chuck’s tone takes on more than he lets on usually, you don’t know what he’s been through, but you know it’s similar to what your group has endured.  
“I hear you. A plan, a haircut and a gun. It’s good advice.” Lee tells Chuck, giving him a ghost of a smile as he tells him thank you in a way that he can’t with any other words.  
“It’s something.” 

You leave the two adults alone, there was something that they needed to say to each other without worrying about a kid listening in. You head back to see Clementine, a fresh perspective on needing a plan now that Chuck had explained himself to the both of you. You don’t say anything to Kenny, he needed time to himself and honestly his temper scared you. You sit next to Clementine once you reach her again, giving her a small smile as you wait for Lee to come back. Once the door slides open and you see Lee enter, he wonders around the car to find what Chuck had talked about, and you spot the map in his back pocket.  
“Hey guys.” Lee greets, looking down at you and Clementine as you both dangle your legs over the edge of the car. Clementine looks up at him, smiling softly as she looks at the man through her curls that are only contained by her baseball cap.  
“I did, he had some, uh…he explained himself and made some good points.” Lee tells her, moving to sit next to her on her free side. She stays sitting between you and Lee, the both of you looking up to the man that had protected you from day one of this new world. “look, we’re not going to let anything bad happen to you. But there are some precautions we have to take.”  
“Okay, yeah, that makes sense.” Clementine shrugs and smiles, happy that Lee wasn’t upset with Chuck any more. She didn’t like it when Lee was angry, and honestly neither did you. It had only recently been revealed that he did something bad in his past, and that he was going to jail for it when the apocalypse started, so you were wary of him.  
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He says as reassuringly as he can to the young girl.  
“Okay, what should we do?”  
“Well, we’re going to figure out a plan for when we get to Savannah, teach you how to protect yourself and, uh, tidy you up a little so you don’t get grabbed so easily.” Lee tells her, and the both of you knew that she wouldn’t be too happy about getting her hair chopped.  
“I’d like that.” Clementine smiles, and you feel relieved that she was okay with the plan that Chuck had advised Lee to take.  
“Good.” Lee stays quiet for a while before he lets out a sigh through his nose, he gets to his feet and becomes serious once more. “You need to learn how to protect yourself.” He tells her, the two of you pushing yourselves up to a standing position.  
“Like hiding or running away, got it.” Clementine tells him with conviction, you knew she was excellent at both of those things, but she needed to learn some defence. Instead, Lee removed the pistol that had been holstered in the back of his jeans.  
“I mean with one of these.” Clementine’s face looks horrified as she looks from Lee to the gun in his hands, and you understood why- guns weren’t toys. “First, don’t be afraid of it. It’s just a thing. Take it.” Lee tells her in a calm but firm voice, making sure she understood how to behave with a gun. “But know where your finger is all the time. And don’t put it on the trigger unless you want to hurt somebody.” He continues his instructions to her as he cocks the gun, then hands the weapon to her with his hand around the barrel of the pistol.  
“Okay. Okay.” Clementine breathes out, nervously taking the weapon from Lee as she feels the weight in her own two hands.  
“See, it’s not scary.” Lee says with an amused tone, and a soft smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.  
“It’s heavy.” Clementine complains as she looks from you to the gun, then back to Lee. You chuckle a little, hiding your smile behind your hand as she becomes acquainted with the weaponry.  
“You’ll get stronger, like [F/N].” Lee assures her, crouching down so he’s kneeling at her height and continues with the lesson. “To aim, you look right down the top, through that notch.” Lee instructs, demonstrating with his finger to show what she had to do. Clementine turns to the corner where there are mostly boxes with empty glasses, the perfect practice range. “Line up the site at the end with your target.” Lee places his hands on her shoulders, watching over her from above as you move to the side to give the two some space.  
“Is there anything else I should know?” Clementine asks, turning to look up at him, ready to learn and absorb the knowledge he’s passing onto her.  
“I know these are just bottles, but you have to aim for the head.”  
“I know. Only the head.” Clementine confirms, understanding that the only way to put down a Walker for good is to destroy the brain.  
“Unless it’s not a Walker and it’s someone trying to hurt you.” Lee tells her, then continues with. “Then it’s the head or body. Anywhere.”  
“I don’t want to think about that.” Clementine interjects, her tone scared as the both of you think about the horror of her being attacked and having to shoot the perpetrator.  
“You’re right. It might be a lot for your first day. You ready?” He asks, understanding that this is a lot for the eight-year-old to take in for her first time using a gun. Clementine nods and confirms that she’s ready, and you give her a small thumbs-up for encouragement as Lee approaches the boxes and sets up a target- a green glass bottle that once housed alcohol. 

Once Lee is happy with the placement, he returns to his position behind Clementine with his hands on her shoulders. Clementine gets ready to shoot her first bullet, raising her arms straight and looking down the top of the gun the best she could.  
“Good. Don’t lock your elbows.” Lee tells her, moving his hands to her elbows to get them to relax so she can take the recoil better and not damage herself. “Okay, let’s take your first shot. Squeeze the trigger smoothly and I’ll cover your ears. Nice and easy.” Lee guides her with a steady tone, placing his hands over her delicate ears to block out some of the noise from the shot. He manages to block one of his ears with his shoulder, and you take that cue to place your own hands over your ears.  
“Nice and easy.” Clementine repeats, concentration on the bottle and lining up her target. Her small finger hovers over the trigger before she pulls, the shot going off and making her jump as the bullet misses the target and she lets out a high-pitched ‘EEP!’.  
“You okay?” Lee immediately asks, dropping his hands and ready to help her if she had hurt herself.  
“My hands hurt, I don’t like this.” Clementine laments, obviously uncomfortable with using the gun.  
“Let’s stick with it, okay?” Lee pushes, knowing the importance of teaching her this skill. You couldn’t imagine not having Lee around, but if he was gone and you were incapacitated, you needed to know that she could use a gun to get out of a mess fast.  
“Do I have to?” Clementine asks, a slight whine to her voice as she poses the question. She still turns towards the glass bottle though, stretching out her arms as Lee manoeuvres her into a better position.  
“Yeah, you do.” Lee persuades, encouraging her to continue with her training as he unlocks her elbows and covers her ears once more. You follow in suit, blocking your own ears from the loud pop of the pistol, and got ready for her to take her second shot.  
“Close. Now keep it steady.” Lee tells her, before giving her her next instruction. “Okay, a little higher.” Clementine pulls the trigger, but misses the glass once again. She lets out a small noise of frustration, but Lee gives her a small nudge of reassurance. “Okay, aim a little bit more to the left.” Clementine does as he instructs, moving the gun slightly more to the left and he tells her to lower the shot once more. She pulls the trigger and the glass bottle shatters, your face breaking into a proud smile at her hitting her first target. Clementine turns to look at you and Lee, her face bright with pride that she had managed to hit the bottle.  
“I got it!” She declares, delight in her tone that indicated she was becoming more familiar and comfortable with using the gun.  
“Excellent. Good shot.” Lee praises her, smiling like a father would to their child. He moves to place another bottle on top of the box, then returns to Clementine’s aid. The training continues for another few bottles and you’re proud that she has the skill of using at least a pistol, and you feel a little more at ease for Lee teaching her that skill. 

_Your path’s unbeaten, and it’s all uphill_  
_And you can meet it, but you never will_  
_And I’m the reason that you’re standing still_  
_But I…_

After you and Clementine were given a short haircut to make it harder for Walkers or people to grab you, Clementine had been looking at the map on her own for a short amount of time. Lee sat with you, ensuring that Clementine wouldn’t be able to hear his conversation with you, and he looks down at you with both of your backs against the wall.  
“If I don’t make it out of Savannah.” Lee starts, and immediately your stomach drops. You look up at him like he was insane for even suggesting the possibility that he wouldn’t be with you and Clem forever, he was untouchable to death and always will be. “You need to be able to look after Clem like I do.” Lee continues, his voice is dark with truth and it seemed that he had been thinking about this for a long time.  
“What are you talking about? You’ll always be with us.” You ask, head cocked slightly to the side with confusion as he sighs through his nose with slight frustration.  
“I’ve been lucky up until now, but luck runs out. You need to be less dependent on me, so you can keep surviving- keep the both of you surviving.” Lee insists, but you still don’t understand what he’s saying. You meekly nod, and agree to do whatever you can to make sure you can keep going, even if he isn’t there to guide you. He didn’t want you to grow up too fast, but this world no longer had that luxury of choice- you knew how to protect yourself with a weapon, you just needed to know how to survive without an adult protecting you. 

The train and screeched to a halt just outside the city of Savannah, and in confusion everyone headed towards the control room where Kenny was at the helm. Off the train and on the ground, you spotted the problem immediately. The bridge that passed over the track had a large gas truck hanging over the edge, blocking the path for the train to take.  
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! FUUUUUUUCK!!!” Kenny lets out as his frustration boils over thanks to the situation, his rage making you flinch and put a protective arm around Clementine automatically.  
“Maybe we could walk?” Ben suggests, trying his best to offer solutions to the problem at hand. It was a good idea, at least it was an option that the group could take.  
“That’s fucking stupid, Ben.” Kenny immediately shuts him down, staring at the ground like it was the Earth’s fault for everything that had happened to them.  
“I’m just sayin…” He tries to defend himself, but you shoot him a look and shake your head. It was no use trying to talk to Kenny when he’s like this, he’ll just get screamed at and most likely threatened. With his loud voice, Kenny could alert a small horde, and that was the last thing that you needed.  
“Hmm, I dunno; I ain’t got much experience with yall’s fortitude but we could probably deal with that.” Chuck announces as he climbs down the steps on the side of the train, walking towards the wreckage to asses the situation closer. “We got a goddamn train.”  
“That thing’s not full of milk, Charles. That’s gas or diesel, something that’s going to explode.” Kenny once against bursts another person’s bubble, and you glance from the unstable man up to Lee. He remains silent, and Chuck turns towards the redneck who had just lost his family.  
“YOU gotta get ahold of yourself. This is a crew here.” Kenny narrows his eyes and steps closer to Chuck, stopping with a few inches between them before looking him up and down.  
“This ain’t shit.” Kenny growls in his face, teetering on the edge and ready for a small wind to push him over the brink.  
“This-” Chuck is cut off by another voice, everyone’s head whipping up towards the bridge where it was coming from.  
“Yo, you keep screaming like that and you’re gonna get your face chewed off.” Before anyone can respond, there’s another voice that comes from the bridge.  
“Are you guys going to be trouble? Because we could’ve just kept walking.”  
“No, we’re friendly!” You call up to them without even thinking, stepping closer to try and get a better view of the strangers. If they were dangerous, they would have shot by now, but they just seemed sassy at best. Lee follows you, putting a hand on your shoulder and pushing you back slightly to stand behind him.  
“Put your hand down, Ken.” He tells Kenny, and to your surprise the man does as he says and takes his hand off of his gun.  
“That’s what everybody says.” The same female voice from before replies, obviously sounding sceptical to the small group on the ground by the train.  
“We know.” Lee replies, a smile on his face at the fact that you had stumbled upon new survivors who seemed decent.  
“Let’s give these guys a break.” The male voice says from the bridge, with a barely audible “We’ll see.” As a response from the female survivor. “You guys got a problem with your train?” He asks, nodding to the hunk of metal stuck on the tracks with no way of moving forward with the blockade that was hanging off the bridge.  
“Yeah, you’re standing right in front of it.” Kenny retorts, his usual bitterness mixing with his sarcasm as he moves his weight from one foot to the other.  
“Dude, it’s a wreck. It’s not so bad from up here. Send your buddy up to have a look.” You start to panic when Lee walks forward, immediately willing to go up there alone. Kenny stops him by raising his arm in front of him, looking him dead in the eyes as his tone drops to a murderous stance.  
“Anything goes sideways up there, we won’t let them escape.” You and Clementine follow Kenny and Lee, stopping just before the ladder that leads up to the wreckage on the bridge above. Lee places one hand and foot on the ladder, then pauses and calls up to the strangers waiting for him.  
“If I come up there, you better not be murderers or thieves.”  
“I guess you’ll have to find out.” You’re unsure if you can trust that reply, but Lee accepts it as enough and begins to climb up the ladder attached to the pillar. On the ground, you’re unsure of what is happening but so far there isn’t any screams or gunshots. Before you can stop her, Clementine is already half way up the ladder behind Lee. You tug on her skirt, but she keeps going, with you calling her name. You follow her up, and as she pulls herself up onto the road above, you hear the man let out cuss of surprise.  
“Goddamn, you guys have a kid!” The male exclaims as he watches Clementine dust herself off once she’s on two feet, looking up at Lee as his eyes widen in shock when he spots the young girl.  
“What are you doing up here?” Lee asks, and then spots your hands come into view as you pull yourself up. You glare at Clementine as you stand beside her, looking at Lee with an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of your neck.  
“Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen a kid? Shit!” The man says, looking at the both of you like you were the holy grail. You lightly nudge Clementine’s shoulder, making her glare slightly at you as you attempt to tell her off via expression. “What’s your name?” He asks, over excited to see the two of you.  
“Clementine.” She introduces herself, and you stand back a little with your arms crossed. You look the two up and down, they don’t seem dangerous, but they could still be a threat.  
“I’m [F/N].”  
“Oh, so he gets to swear?” Lee asks Clementine, amusement in his voice as he looks at the young girl.  
“This is great! See, things are looking up.” The man says to the taller woman beside him, but she seems unconvinced as she looks at the two of you. 

You learn their names shortly after they interrogate Lee, they’re Omid and Christa, and they seem like nice people. You want them to stay with the group, Omid was better than Kenny, and Christa was just rough around the edges. Omid stayed on the bridge and helped Lee get the tanker out of the way of the train, whilst you and Clementine sit with Christa and learn her story. Your head snaps up when Ben calls out a warning, his face and voice are panicked, and he points down the track where your group had just come from.  
“Guys…there’s something coming.” You push yourself to your feet and dust off your jeans, looking down the tracks to see the biggest herd of Walkers you had ever seen the past three months since this started. Your heart drops and your blood runs cold, their screeches for live food immediately sending fear through your body.  
“WE GOTTA GO!” Ben screams as he starts running across the roof of the train, hopping down to get into the cart as the herd stumbles closer in search for its next meal. You look up at Omid and Lee with alarm, Omid managed to cut the tanker free and it hits the ground without exploding. However, it scraps against the pillar that was one of many to hold up the bridge, and tears away the ladder along with it.  
“KENNY! GO!” Lee shouts the demand at Kenny, who was sat at the controls of the train and waiting for the green light to start the locomotive again. Without wasting a second, he brings the train back to life and you turn to grab Clementine. You help her to her feet and run to the train, Chuck and Christa following in suit. You force Clementine up first, tearing your eyes away from the stampede of undead that was bloodthirsty and coming your way. Once she was safely on the train, you scramble up the ladder and turn to help Christa. Your heart is pounding in your chest as you watch Lee and Omid climb the barrier on the road that was there to stop cars going off in case of a crash, and your stomach churns with nausea as you watch Omid jump, bounce off the roof of the train and hit the ground in a way that must have broken a bone.  
“Shit!” Christa jumps from the train as soon as Omid landed, stumbling then sprinting towards her partner that was laying incapacitated on the ground as the herd drew closer and a fire was starting to spread in the leaking gas from the tanker.  
“Christa!” You call out for her, but your first priority is Clementine. You briefly register Lee jumping from the bridge and making it onto the roof of the train. Christa reaches Omid and helps him up, pushing him to the moving train to get into the box car. You and Clementine rush to help, holding out your hand for Omid or Christa to take. Lee pulls a wounded Omid onto the train, as Christa starts to lag. You manage to grab her hand, but it slips from your hold. You barely have enough strength to keep yourself on your feet let alone pull a fully-grown woman into the train.  
“No!” Omid screams as Christa falls behind, soon disappearing out of sight as the train picks up speed. “SHE’S A WOMAN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT-” Omid screams at Lee in hysteria, but is cut off when Christa launches herself into the cart and collapses onto the wooden floor. You sit in silence as everyone calms down and catches their breath, your eyes unable to move away from the world outside as all that plays in your mind was your failure to save Christa- your damaged brain replacing her with Clementine as you watch her slip from your hand and into the mouth of the horde repeatedly. 

_I wish I could say the right words, to lead you through this land_  
_Wish I could play the father, and take you by the hand_  
_Wish I could stay here, but now I understand_  
_I’m standing in the way_

Leaving Clementine in her moment of distress was one of the toughest decisions you had made since this outbreak had started. You watched from the doorframe of the room she was in, sat on the window sill seat with her feet not even touching the ground. Your heart shattered with each beat as Lee broke the news to her that there wouldn’t be any time for them to search for her parents, and after the Hell of surviving through Crawford, you knew that had been the major driving force for her to keep going. You hold back as you watch her cry into her hands, looking away as Lee attempts to reach out to her in a manner of comfort and she turns her back to him. Her soft whimpers and broken cries leave you furious with Lee, but placing the blame was never as easy as it used to be. Without a word, Lee places her walkie-talkie on the cabinet opposite the window and exits the room. He sits on the small sofa that was placed in the room by the previous owners, and falls asleep as Clementine lets out her anguish. Swiftly deciding that there isn’t anything you can do to comfort either of them, you turn your back on the pair and go downstairs. You sit on the floor next to Omid’s sleeping body which was attempting to heal itself, and Christa hands you a tin of what you guessed was beans, and tells you to eat. 

Hours pass by and somewhere in the passage of time, you had fallen asleep curled up on one of the luxurious sofas in the living room. It was easier to sleep when exhaustion took over, and the sounds of the dead were muffled through sturdy walls and tough fences. You’re ripped from your dreamless slumber by yells, although it’s distant and fuzzy at first, your brain is then able to process it to be Lee’s voice yelling for Clementine outside. Your eyebrows knit together in confusion, and you stretch out your tired body before opening your eyes. It was getting dark outside, the sun was starting to set over Savannah, and the frantic nature of Lee’s voice had you scared. You head outside to the back garden that was cut off from the rest of the neighbourhood with brick pillars, iron fences and iron gates, rubbing your tired eyes and leaning against the doorframe of the back door.  
“Lee?” You call out, still attempting to wake up and come back to reality. His lack of response brings you back to sense as he stands on the other side of the fence with his back to you, holding Clementine’s hat. You walk closer to the fence, knowing that it isn’t safe to go beyond them alone. Christa, Omid, Ben and Kenny march out along the pavement towards him, demanding to know what he’s doing.  
“Lee, where’s Clementine? She’s not in her room!” Omid asks, and your fear is skyrocketing the longer he doesn’t respond. Clementine isn’t in the house? Where could she have gone?  
“Vernon ain’t in the house either! What the hell is going on?” Kenny is almost yelling now, and you cling to the bars of the fence for a way to ground you to the world.  
“Who’s blood is that?” Christa asks, her eyes on the blood on his sleeve and some that had splattered onto Clementine’s cap.  
“It’s a Walker’s, fucker jumped me from behind.” Lee finally says, turning to face the rest of the group.  
“So where’s Clementine?” Kenny asks, and you’re on the verge of tearing the bars apart.  
“Clementine’s gone. I found her hat and her radio on the ground out here. That’s all I found.” Your whole world crashes down when Lee confirms that Clementine is gone, the rest of the group’s conversation is blurred to you as Kenny refuses to stand by his side. Christa and Ben stand by his side, and are ready to help him find Clementine in any way that they can.  
“I’m coming too.” You say with the upmost determination in your voice, already moving away from the fence to join the small group on this rescue mission.  
“No, you’re not. You’re staying here with Kenny and Omid.” Lee declares sternly, glaring at you and making you freeze to the spot. You turn to face him and march forward, almost growling as your hands ball into fists at your sides.  
“This is all your fault! She’s gone because of you!” You lash out at him, placing all the blame onto him for something that wasn’t his to control. Lee knew that you were being aggressive because you were worried, he was scared too, but your emotions were out of control.  
“We’re going to find her, we’re going to get her back.” Lee promised as he straightens up, nodding to Christa and Ben for them to follow him to try and locate Clementine. As he walks away from the house, leaving behind you, Kenny and Omid, he makes sure that his sleeve hides the Walker bite that marked his fate. 

_Believe me, I don’t wanna go_  
_And it’ll grieve me ‘cause I love you so_  
_But we both know_  
_Wish I could say the right words, to lead you through this land_  
_Wish I could play the father, and take you by the hand_  
_Wish I could stay, wish I could stay, wish I could stay >/em>  
_Wish I could….stay…_ _


End file.
